Article carrier



Aug, 5, 1947: H. G. sulTER 2,425,135

ARTICLE' CARRIER Filed July 27, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 2e F. '27W A Aug.A5, l1947. H. G. sUlTER ARTICLE CARRIER Filed July 27, 1945 -2Sheets-Shet 2 02... r m M w Patented ug'. 5, 124? UNITED STATES PATENTGFFICE ARTICLE CARRIER Harold G. Suiter, Baltimore, Md.

Application July 27, 1945, Serial No. 607,328

12 Claims. l

This invention has particular reference to a v small, light andinexpensive carrier for beverage bottles, usually six in number, nowpopular with the consumer, as well as with the bottler and retailer, inthe rst instance because of convenience in carrying the purchase fromstore to home, and in the latter instances because of the manner inwhich the carrier has promoted a larger unit of sale.

The bottle carriers heretofore used for this purpose present objectionsin that in practically all instances the bottles within the tray are incontact with one another and due to this contact the bottles frequentlybecome broken or chipped.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide means inconnection with a simple and inexpensive tray to maintain the bottlesproperly stabilized within the tray and at the same time out of contactwith one another to thus overcome the objections stated.

The invention further comprehends means in connection with trays capableof nesting one within anotherfor stabilizing and holding the bottlesyout of contact with one another when the tray is in use, but which meansis movable within each respective tray to a position out of the path ofintertting parts of other trays when nested therein.

The invention further comprehends means of simple construction formaintaining the bott-le locators or partitions within the trays ineither operative or inoperative positions.

With the foregoing objects in View, together with others which willappear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will bedescribed more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevation, parts broken away, of acarrier constructed in accordance with the invention, and showing thebottle stabilizing bracket in raised or operative position,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the improved carrier,

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 and illustrat ing, partly in section,the parts in the positions they will assume when a pair of such traysare in nested relationship,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View through the improved carrier andillustrating the manner in which the stabilizing bracket engages thebottles,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view, handle removed, of the carrier filled withbott-les and showing the association of the stabilizer brackettherewith,

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 and illustrating a modied form ofstabilizer means, and

Fig.' 7 is a transverse sectional View taken through the carrier of Fig.6 and showing the stabilizer brackets in lowered or inoperativepositions.

The bottle carrier of the present invention is of the type whichinvolves generally a tray, including a bottom, ends and sides, and ahandle, the tray being usually of such size as to accommodate six, eightor possibly ten bottles in upright position and closely associated orfitted in upstanding position within the tray so as to be stabilizedtherein and readily conveyed by the handle attached to the tray. Thetray here disclosed is for the accommodation of six bottles arrangedclosely together in parallel rows of three each, .but it will beunderstood that the tray may be made to receive a greater or lesser num-Iber of bottles as requirements may demand. The tray may be constructedof any desired material and may be of any preferred size, the materialhere contemplated being of relatively thin and light metal.

The tray here disclosed is of such construction as to permit nesting orinteriitting engagement with another tray of identical construction foreconomy of space in shipment or storage of the carriers. One form ofcarrier of intertting character is here disclosed, but it will beunderstood that the inventive features hereinafter described areapplicable to various forms o-f interiitting carrier trays, or theseparators, locators or partitions hereinafter detailed may beassociated with trays of non-intertting or telescoping character.

The carrier here disclosed includes a tray having a flat bottom I5having upstanding lower wall portions I6 at its endsto provide endwalls, preferably at right angles to said bottom. Surmounting the endwalls I6 are upper wall portions I'I,` an abrupt outwardly extendingshoulder I8 resulting at the juncture of the lower with the upper wallportions at each end of the tray. This shoulder is in breadthapproximately the thickness of the end wall element. The upper and lowerend walls are thus disposed in parallel planes spaced apart a distanceequal to the breadth of the shoulders I8, the lower wall portions I 6being inset with respect to the upper portions I'I.

The sides of the tray comprise bands I9 exend portions provided byinsetting said edges' as at 2|. The side walls are spaced apart suchdistance as to accommodate between them the bottles in upstandingposition, and it is preferred that the curvature at the ends of thesebands be substantially in conformity with the size and shape or thecontour of the bottle to be accommodated. The breadth as well as thelength of the tray sides is slightly greater than the combinedtransverse and longitudinal diameters of the bottles to be accommodatedwithin the carrier.

From this construction it is apparent that the trays may be intertted ornested together,A and when so nested the lower end wall portions I6 aswell as the bottom I will be disposed within the next underlying tray ofthe stack. The distance the bottom elements of the trays clear or arespaced from the bottom of the next adjacent nested tray will bedetermined by the depth' of the end Wall portions I6.

The means for locating or positioning and holding the bottles within thetray when the latter is used as a carrier, includes a bracket indicatedgenerally at 22. This bracket may be made of light, inexpensive stripmaterial, the body of which is coextensive with the interior of the traylongitudinally. This bracket portion is so formed as to provide pocketsin series on each of its sides corresponding in number to the number ofbottles to be accommodated within the carrier. These pockets conform tothe size and shape of side portions of the bottles to be carried, andare formed by providing partitionor locator portions 23 projectingoutwardly from the bracket body longitudinally of the tray and in thedirection of the sides thereof. The ends of the bracket body 22 areprovided with arms 24, the ends of which are pivoted as at 25 to theinner faces of the upper end wall portions of thel tray in thelongitudinal center of the latter. The location of these pivots and thelengths of the arms 24 will be such that when thebracket is swung toupper or operative position, the locator or partition elements 23 willengage and conform to the shape of the bottle size and maintain thebottles in sufficiently rm engagement with the sides of the tray as tostabilize the bottles, to hold them iirmly in position and entirely outof contact with one another.. The location of the pivots and the lengthof the arms will also determine the distance which the bracket body perse will assume when swung to lowermost or inoperative position. It issufcient to say that the arm lengths and pivot locations will be suchthat when swung to lowermost or inoperative position, the bracket willlie sufficiently close to the bottom of the tray as to be out of thepath of intertting parts of the next adjacent or nesting tray.

In some instances, bottles of irregular shape or contour are to beaccommodated in trays of this general character, and in such instancesit will be understood that the bracket will be so constructed andarranged as to conform to such irregularities and to engage the bottlesat such points as to insure against the bottles coming into bodilycontact with one another as well as to insure stabilization of thebottles withinvthe carrier.

To maintain the bracket in either upstanding (operative) or lowered(nesting) positions, stops 26 are provided. These stops may compriseinwardly projecting bosses as shown, positioned upon the tray ends sothat the arms 24 may be engaged by the bosses to hold the arms in eitherposition, at the same time permitting the arms to yieldably snap overthe bosses in moving from one position to the other. It will beunderstood that with a little pressure applied, the arms may be swungreadily past the stops, yet the latter grip the arms sufficiently tightto hold them normally in either upper or lower positions.

The tray of the type here shown is equipped with a handle 2'| whichincludes the arms or bails 28 pivoted as at 29 to upstanding portions 3Uat the tray ends. These pivots will be located in the longitudinalcenter of the tray in order to insure proper balance. To permit ofnesting so as to accommodate these pivots, the ends of the tray areprovided with inward depressions 3| of suicient breadth and length topermit of intertting engagement of these parts, the lower part of thedepressed portion 3| being cut away or slotted as at 3| in order thatthe heads of the pivot members 29 upon the inner faces of the endportions may be accommodated in the intertting relationship.

In the modication disclosed by Figures 6 and 7 the partitions orlocators take a slightly different form. In this phase of the inventiona pair of brackets 32 are employed. Each bracket is shaped so as toprovide partition or locator elements 33 to conform partly to the shapeand size of a bottle side, While the ends 34 of the brackets are pivotedas at 35 in spaced apart relationship to the end walls of the tray andin horizontal alignment. This arrangement provides individual locatorsfor the rows of bottles at each side of the carrier, and is designedprimarily for use in connection with bottles having straight or regularsides. The arms at the ends of these locator members or brackets and theposition of the pivots 35- will be such that when the brackets are.swungV to upper (operative) positions, they will conform to and engagethe sides of the bottles and hold them in close engagement with the traysides, yet at the same time out of contact or engagement with oneanother. These dimensions and pivot locations will also determine thedistance to Whichthe body portions of the brackets will move when swungto lowermost (nesting) position for intertting engagement with anothertray of identical construction. It will be understood that when inlowered position the brackets will vbe out of the path of the bottom ofan interi'ltting ornesting tray.

From the vforegoing it will be readily apparent that bottle trays soconstructed may be lled with bottles, either nlled or empty, with theassurance that they will be held rmlyfor stabilized in the tray andentirely out of contactwith one another so as to insure against breakageor -chipping during the carrying operation. The precise arrangement ofthe separator brackets in both forms of the invention is such that when`swung to the inoperative position interi'ltting or nesting engagement ofthe trays one within another may be carried without interference byV thebracket elements.

While the foregoing is a description of what appears to be the preferredembodiments of the invention, it will be understood that changes in theform, construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as ydefined by the claims.

It is moreover apparent that the inventive idea may be equally assuccessfully practiced in connection with trays not of the interi'lttingor nesting type.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described anoperative manner of constructing and using the same, although withoutattempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or allof the forms of its use, what is claimed is:

1. A carrier comprising a tray including a bottom and end walls soconstructed as to permit intertting and nesting engagement with anothertray of identical construction, brackets secured within said trays toengage and hold articles stabilized therein and against engagement withone another, and said brackets movable within their respective trays topositions out of the path of-intertting portions of another tray whenthe trays are in nested relationship.

2. A carrier c-omprising a tray including a bottom and end walls soconstructed as to -permit intertting and nesting engagement with anothertray of identical size and construction, a bracket secured within eachtray adapted normally to vengage and hold articles stabilized thereinand against engagement with one another, and said brackets movablewithin their respective trays to positions out of the path of interttingportions of another tray when the trays are in nested relationship.

3. A carrier comprising a tray including a bottom and end walls soconstructed as to permit nesting engagement within another tray ofidentical construction, brackets carried by and arranged within saidtrays adapted when in raised position to engage and hold articlesstabilized therein and against engagement with one another, and saidbrackets when in lowered position disposed out of the path of interttingportions of another tray of identical .construction when the trays arein nested relationship. v

4. A carrier comprising a tray including a Ibottom and end walls soconstructed as to permit nesting engagement with another tray ofidentical construction, brackets pivoted within said trays adapted whenin operative position to engage and hold articles stabilized therein andagainst engagement with one another, and said brackets adapted to beswung out of the path of interfitting portions of another tray ofidentical construction when the trays are in nested relationship.

5. A carrier comprising a tray including a bottom vand end walls soconstructed as to permit nesting engagement with another tray ofidentical construction, brackets secured within said trays movable tooperative or inoperative positions, said brackets when in operativeposition being engageable with articles within their respective trays tohold said articles stabilized therein and out of contact with oneanother, and when in inoperative position out of the path of interttingportions of other identically constructed trays to permit nesting of thesame.

6. A carrier comprising a tray including a bottom and end walls soconstructed as to permit nesting engagement with another tray ofidentical construction, a bracket within and substantially coeXtensive,with the length of the tray, arms on the ends of said bracket, meanspivotally connecting said arms to the end walls of said tray, said armsof such length as to enable the bracket to engage and hold articlesstabilized in the tray and out of contact with one another when thebracket is in one position, and to swing the path of intertting` partsof another tray to permit nesting of the trays.

7. A carrier comprising a tray including a bot- -tom and end walls soconstructed as to permit nesting engagement with another tray ofidentical construction, a bracket within each tray disposedlongitudinally thereof, article engaging portions on said bracket, armsforming a part of said bracket at the ends of the latter and disposed atsubstantially right angles therewith, pivot members connecting the endsof said arms with the ends of said tray, said pivots so located as toposition said portions in engagement with articles within the tray whenin one position and when in another position to position said portionsout of the path of interfitting parts of another tray to permit nestingrelationship.

8. A carrier comprising a tray including a bottom and end walls soconstructed as to permit nesting engagement with another tray ofidentical construction, a bracket within each tray disposedlongitudinally thereof, article engaging portions on said bracket, armsforming a part of said bracket at the ends of the latter and disposed atsubstantially right angles therewith, pivot members connecting the endsof said arms with the ends of said tray in the median line thereof, saidpivots so located as to position said portions in engagement witharticles within the tray when in one position and when in anotherposition to position said portions out of the path of intertting partsof another tray to permit nesting relationship, and locking means onsaid tray ends to hold said arms in either of said positions.

9. A carrier comprising a tray having upper and lower portions, thelower portions o-iset inwardly of the upper portions, handle attachingelements projecting inwardly from the inner faces 10. A carriercomprising a tray having upper and lower end portions, the lowerportions offset inwardly of the upper portions, handle attachingelements projecting inwardly from the inner faces of the upper portions,said lower end portions and parts of said upper end' portions havinginward depressions aligned with said handle attaching elements, abracket disposed within and longitudinally of said tray and in themedian line thereof, partition elements projecting laterally from saidbracket, arms at the ends of said bracket disposed at substantiallyright angles to the latter, pivot members connecting the ends of saidarms to said inward depressions, and stop members arranged in spacedrelation to each other within said tray in said depressions.

11. A carrier comprising a tray having upper ets having spaced partitionelements, arms at the ends of said bracket members disposed atsubstantially right angles to the latter, pivot members connecting theends of said arms to the upper portions of the end members of said tray,said bracket members so constructed and arranged as to lie insubstantial parallelism in article gripping engagement when in oneposition and to be swung to close proximity to the loottom of said traywhen in another position.

12. A carrier comprising a tray including a bottom, side and end Walls,a bracket disposed longitudinally within said tray, partition elementsarranged in spaced relation upon said bracket, arms at the ends of saidbracket element disposed at substantially right angles to the latter,pivot members connecting the ends of said arms to the ends of said trayin substantially the median line of the latter, and a handle includingbails, said bails pivotally connected at their ends to the upperportions of said end members in the median line of said tray.

HAROLD G. SUITER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

